As the Cloud gets closer, all sorts of interesting and unexpected things happen.
Apparently, in this version of The Future, they haven't even invented Assembler yet, much less FORTRAN. I love the bit where they write a program to calculate the Cloud's position based on the gravitational effect it has on the orbits of the outer planets.
Hoyle, as one would expect, gets all the details right this is his home territory. When it arrives, it will blot out the Sun for months, creating the greatest natural catastrophe since the meteorite impact that killed the dinosaurs. Scientists discover a huge cloud of gas, heading directly for the solar system. But, oddly enough, that only adds to its charm. It's The Future, as imagined in the late 50s, and by the time I read it the book was already feeling a bit dated. This is the best geek wish-fulfillment fantasy I know, and I've also heard that it's Richard Dawkins's favorite science fiction novel.
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